A Summer medley

Talk:  The Lady Gardener

Friday Forum’s own member Celia delighted us with her fascinating and amusing findings on the female gardener through the ages.  Celia took us through from the nuns who tended the convent gardens, the wives of the villagers who looked after the cottage gardens, the Ladies of Kew and the Land girls through to the medal winning plants women and landscape gardeners of today. 

Mini Summer Show

Congratulations go to:

Dorothy A’s Virgo Rose,Phyllis’ pink rose and Maragret’s Graham Thomas yellow rose

 Dorothy’s pink Sweet peas

Sue G's Pinks Doris

 Sue G's arrangement

 

 

Margaret D’s Begonia escargot (on left)

Thanks to Graham and Peter for judging and offering constructive criticism and advice.

Display Table:

 Peter’s Physoplexus Comosa

 Sally’s Cosmos and unknown plant which was identified as Dalmaticum geranium

An interesting fact about Trevor’s vase was that the majority of the contents were plants that grew over into his garden from neighbouring gardens!

 

Russian Olive (Elaeagnus 'Quicksilver) Rose, euphorbia which is planted above a wall of Bavarian limestone which was used in the printing industry, pyracantha, Rose, golden hop, solanum, clematis, yew, Russian vine, two types of honeysuckle.

 

Judith brought some Weld (Dyers Rocket which gives grey/blue dye)  , Begonia grandis, meconopsis double orange.

 In Ann’s jug there are a variety of clematis including Clematis helios texensis Princess Diana and Duchess of Albany, Clematis fusca and Buckland Beauty.

Ann's Sandersonia

A bitter/sweet tale

Graham invited us to help ourselves to envelopes of seeds to sow and told us the story behind them.  An old gentleman had passed away and his home was being cleared when the clearance people came across a large number of envelopes of seeds.  These seeds, many of which were quite exotic, had been purchased from various countries around the world.  Sadly, he never got the chance to sow them but hopefully some of our members will manage to do so.  This would be a fitting legacy and we will report back on our successes.

 

Seed from house clearance

Next Meetings

17^th July:  For those who have booked for the day trip to Nottinghamshire, it’s a 9.00 am start from Paxton.  Remember to bring a picnic lunch and NT membership card if you have one.  We expect to be back for approximately 6.30. 

7^th August:  Forum

Garden Visit to Mere'stead

Friday Forum thoroughly enjoyed a visit to Roberto's amazing garden with its pizzeria, clever planting and quirky objets d'art.

 Carl waiting to place his order!

 Fully furnished outdoor kitchen complete with pizza oven

The front garden

 Macropetala Wessleton

 Planting for shade including Spotty Dotty

Notice Board
On 28th June, there is a choice of gardens to visit :
 

Carol's award-winning garden will be open for NGS at 4a Blackwood Rise,  Cookridge LS16 7BG.  For more details see  http://www.ngs.org.uk/gardens/find-a-garden/Garden.aspx?id=21575 

 

My group is holding a traditional garden party at designer's garden for Rainbow Allotment for adults with physical and mental difficulties. Venue: Rose Cotttage, 2 Scarcroft View, Brandon Lane, Leeds, LS17 9JJ 2 - 5 pm

Next Meeting
July 3rd:  Forum - Mini Summer show and a talk by Celia entitled "The Lady Gardener" 
Here are the categories for the show:

CLASS 1  One bloom HT Rose

CLASS 2  One stem Floribunda Rose

CLASS 3  One stem any other Rose

CLASS 4  One vase Sweet Peas

CLASS 5  One vase Pink
CLASS 6  One vase cut flowers, judged for frontal effect.

CLASS 6 CL    CLASS 7  One pot plant

Propagating properly

In Friday Forum, we discussed ways to propagate a variety of plants and exchanged tips and views.  One useful hint was to shake down the soil in a pot in which a plant rooted in water has been potted, rather than firming it down.

Display Table

James gave a demonstration rather than an exhibit.  He showed us, with the aid of a glass measuring jug which was issued during World War 2, how to check if an egg is fresh or not.  A fresh egg will sink to the bottom of a container of water, whereas an old will be full of gas and float to the top.  It’s amazing what we learn at Friday Forum!

Members brought plants which are currently in their gardens:

 

Willow Babylonica Crispa which Judith raised from a cutting

 

Judith's late flowering tulip spengeri and Geranium nodosum

Rose’s mystery plant - Anyone ???

Graham’s double auricula 

Ann’s crinodendron hookerianum, magnolia lilliflora nigra, allium aflatunense,  nectaroscordum siculum, astrantia Hadspen blood, geranium Bill Wallis, asarum caudatum, anthriscus ravenswing, cerinthe major and tragopogon porrifolius

Gill’s shrubs:  Abutilon, kolkwitzia (beauty bush) weigelia, chosyia sundance, ceanothus, variegated broom, viburnum, honeysuckle, Clematis Broughton Bride, zara like mimosa, lathyrus 

Gill’s shrubs:  Abutilon, kolkwitzia (beauty bush) weigelia, chosyia sundance, ceanothus, variegated broom, viburnum, honeysuckle, Clematis Broughton Bride, zara like mimosa, lathyrus

Perennials: Geum Fireball, valeriana, phlox (clouds of perfume)

Gill's Aqualegia

Notices

Can anyone help with a Paxton Hall Blitz on Tue 23rd June 10 – 2?

Cosmos plants were  distributed to grow on

The Paxton Plant Sale and Coffee Morning in May raised £333.40 - so keep making the cuttings!!!

Friday Forum mini Summer show will take place on 3 July; details to follow

Paxton Summer show will take place on Saturday 27th June.  Donations and cakes appreciated.

Carol's award-winning garden will be open on June 28th for NGS at 4a Blackwood Rise,  Cookridge LS16 7BG.  For more details see

  http://www.ngs.org.uk/gardens/find-a-garden/Garden.aspx?id=21575 

 

Also on 28th June, my group is holding a traditional garden party at designer's garden for Rainbow Allotment for adults with physical and mental difficulties. Venue: Rose Cotttage, 2 Scarcroft View, Brandon Lane, Leeds, LS17 9JJ 2 - 5 pm

Next meeting

June 19th:  Garden visit to Mere’stead, 28 Kelmscott Garth, Manston, Crossgates,  Leeds LS15 8LB
Directions can be found by clicking on the Garden Visits page.

Garden visit to Millrace Gardens and Nursery in Garforth

We were blessed with beautiful weather as we were shown round Millrace Gardens in Garforth by Carol, the owner, whose enthusiasm for gardening and plants is infectious.  It is difficult to imagine that in 1999 there was nothing in the front garden.  Only after clearing the whole area and adding topsoil could the construction of the borders begin. A large amount of rubble was left beneath the soil, but this helped with drainage.

Rose-canary bird. Cercis 'Avondale'-gold leaf after pink flowers
Tulip 'Cairo'

The back garden was formerly a field and now includes a woodland walk, wild areas with prairie planting and trees. The garden attracts a lot of wildlife and we saw a woodpecker.  It was like being deep in the countryside rather than a suburb of Leeds.

 Bog garden

The bog garden was added in 2005, but it looks as though it has been there forever.

Laburnum arch

Nearer the house are a series of garden rooms.

For more photos see http://www.millrace-plants.co.uk/nursery-photos.htm

 

We all enjoyed the visit to this garden including the tea and homemade cake and went home with new plants and new ideas to try in our own gardens.

Update

Graham’s mystery plant has now been identified as Ledebouria - the original bulbs came from Ann F.

Next Meeting: 5^th June (see the tab at the top of the blog for details).